1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of lighting systems. More specifically, this invention is in the field of decorative ground lighting systems.
2. The Relevant Technology
Outdoor lighting is a popular way to decorate homes and provide illumination for dark walkways. Typical outdoor lighting includes holiday lights, commonly known as Christmas lights or other such holiday lights. While such lights often bring great pleasure and excitement to those viewing the lights, the lighting systems tend to be cumbersome and time consuming both to install and to maintain.
For example, certain lighting systems include clips which must be fastened to a roof, tree, pole, railing or other structure in order to mount the lighting systems outdoors. In addition, after finding the location to mount each individual clip, and mounting each clip, it is possible for one or more lights to fail. Often, if even a single light fails or xe2x80x9cburns outxe2x80x9d an entire strand of lights must be replaced. Replacing the entire strand of lights can mean removing the strand from its clipped location, then reclipping each of the new lights at the same location.
Even with lights which do not burn out, such clipped lights tend to fall from their locations, potentially subjecting the lights to damage and at the very least exhibiting an unsightly appearance. Lights which are placed onto or fall onto the ground without any additional support can be stepped on and crushed.
Other outdoor lighting systems feature a series of ground mounted holders or stakes having light bulbs and electrical cords extending therethrough or otherwise coupled thereto. The holders and bulbs, with their accompanying electrical cords are typically installed as a single, combined unit. Installation of such combined units often involves pressing the holders into the ground or digging a hole, installing the holders, then covering a portion of the holders with dirt or other material.
Since the holders, bulbs, and cords are installed as a unit, it is possible for the bulbs of such units to be broken during such installation or for the electrical cords to be sliced or otherwise damaged. For example, a delicate bulb can be broken while the unit is pressed into the ground. Such damage to the bulbs or cords can result in the loss of electricity to a single unit or to an entire lighting system comprising a series of units. Furthermore, the exposing or uncovering of live electrical wires during installation can present a potentially precarious scenario.
Replacement or repair of such combined units also typically requires removal of both the holder and the accompanying bulb and electrical cord. In the event units are permanently coupled in a series, the entire lighting system of a garden or yard, for example, must be removed. This can require both a great deal of time and labor to dig up previously implanted units. In addition, the removal of such combined units can damage delicate electrical systems.
Furthermore, certain receiving ends of typical light holders or stakes are configured for receiving only specially designed light fixtures, rather than a variety of different light fixtures currently on the market. Other light holders feature complicated upper receiving portions which are both expensive to manufacture and form a top heavy structure when placed into the ground.
Moreover, certain light-holding stake systems require the twisting or bending of the light fixture in order to couple the fixture to the receiving end of the stake. In addition to the placement of the light fixtures onto the receiving end of the stake, removing the light fixtures from the receiving end also requires such twisting or bending.
Pieces of small plastic pipe have been cut into one foot sections and inserted into the ground at approximately one foot intervals with Christmas lights clipped to the side at the top. However, the pieces failed to adequately hold the lights in a stable manner and exhibited an unsightly appearance.
Ground-mounted light-holding stakes can also be difficult to insert into the ground, such as in rough or rocky terrain. In addition, it is possible, upon insertion of the stakes, to damage the stakes, such as by damaging the tops of the stakes with a hammer or other tool.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved decorative lighting system.
It is another object of the invention to provide a decorative lighting system including stakes which are separately deployable prior to stringing a string of decorative lights onto the stakes. It is another object of the invention to provide a decorative lighting system wherein a string of lights can by deployed by simply inserting each socket on the string of lights into a corresponding receiving end of a stake.
It is another object of the invention to provide a decorative lighting system including stakes which can hold a variety of different light fixtures.
It is another object of the invention to provide a stake for holding a light fixture which can conveniently hold light fixtures in rows with electrical cords of the light fixtures extending on opposing sides of the stake.
Another object of the invention is to provide a stake for holding a light fixture which has the actual appearance of a candlestick.
Another object of the invention is to provide a light stake which is conveniently inserted into the ground.
Yet another object of the invention is to prevent damage to a light stake upon insertion into the ground.
Another object of the invention is to provide a light stake which conveniently orients wires extending therefrom.
Another object of the invention is to provide a light stake assembly which is conveniently mounted into a ground surface.
The present invention relates to a decorative lighting system for deploying a string of decorative lights above a ground surface. The system includes (i) a string of decorative lights; and (ii) a plurality of separately deployable stakes. The string of lights comprises a plurality of electrical sockets. Each socket receives a light bulb and is connected by wiring strung between each of the sockets.
Each stake holds an individual socket and is separately deployable prior to stringing the string of decorative lights onto the stakes. Each stake comprises (i) a sharpened end to facilitate driving the stake through the ground surface and into the ground to a desired depth; and (ii) a receiving end having a receptacle formed therein.
The receptacle is sized to removably receive one of the sockets of the light string. The receiving end includes at least one and preferably first and second slots therein into which the wiring of the light string is removably seated and secured. Thus, the string of lights can by deployed onto the stakes by simply inserting each socket on the string of lights into a corresponding receiving end of a stake, and inserting the wiring of the string of lights into the at least one slot of that stake.
Consequently, the stakes can be installed separately from the string of lights, preserving electrical wires and bulbs until after the stakes have been pounded into or otherwise mounted within the ground. Stakes can be strategically placed in desired locations before attempting to place bulbs and wires in the stakes. This prevents damage to such electrical wires and bulbs during installation and during site location. The stakes can also be stored or washed separately from the electrical cords and bulbs of the light string. Furthermore, if a single light or even the entire lighting system fails or burns out, the stakes can be left in their strategic position while the light string is removed and conveniently replaced.
The first and second slots in the receiving end run from a top end of the receptacle to a point near a bottom end of the receptacle. The wiring is conveniently accommodated by the slots. The socket and wiring are merely placed into the receptacle and slots of the previously deployed stake without having to twist or bend the socket or wiring. This makes the system easily deployable in separate, distinct portions.
In one embodiment, the slots run from a top end of the receptacle to a point near the ground surface when the stake is driven into the ground. Next, a clip means is provided for removable attachment onto and around the stake to secure the wiring to the stake at the point near the ground surface. This places the wiring adjacent the ground, exhibiting a tidy appearance and preventing people and pets from tripping on the wiring. In another embodiment, the slot is located at the sharpened end of the stake.
Another embodiment of the invention comprises cord means for joining each stake to at least one adjacent stake at a predetermined distance from one another. Thus, the stakes are coupled together in an organized fashion.
The preferred embodiment of the stake comprises a length of hollow pipe. Thus, the stake is lightweight and inexpensive to manufacture. The stake has no moving parts, is made from readily available and inexpensive materials and can be readily molded as a unitary body on a mass production basis. Optionally, however, the stake can be made from fairly commonly available pipes found in hardware stores and other retail and wholesale establishments. Such pipes can be cut into the desired lengths, after which one end of the pipe is slotted with opposing parallel slots and another end is cut with a slant cut.
The stake of the present invention is also convenient to place into or remove from the ground. Once the stakes are placed in the ground, the user then presses a light fixture into the receiving end. No twisting or bending of the fixture is required.
Yet another advantage of the stakes of the present invention is that the stakes can accommodate light fixtures having a clip thereon as well as light fixtures lacking clips. In one embodiment, for example, a clip coupled to the socket of a light fixture extends over the top of the rim of the receiving end of the stake of the present invention. In another embodiment, the receiving end is sized such that the clip is positioned within the open receiving end.
Examples of light fixtures held above a ground surface include Christmas lights or other light fixtures comprising a socket and an electrical cord coupled to the socket. The light bulb of the fixture may be removably or integrally coupled to the socket.
Upon placing a light into the receiving end of the invented stake, the system yields the appearance of an electrically lighted candlestick. One embodiment of the invention is thus a decorative lighting holder device which accommodates strings of white outdoor Christmas lights to simulate electrically lighted candlesticks.
Furthermore, the system of the present invention can be employed to maintain a variety of different light fixtures ranging in size from miniature to intermediate to large lights above the ground. In addition, since the stakes and light strings are separately deployable, they can be separately stored and separately shipped. Thus, the electrical wires of the light string do not become entangled with the stakes.
Yet another embodiment of the invention comprises a decorative lighting stake assembly which maintains at least one decorative light above a ground surface. The decorative lighting stake assembly may comprise, for example: (i) a holder configured to selectively hold at least one decorative light therein; and (ii) a stake selectively, removably coupled to the holder. The stake selectively couples the holder to the ground surface. The stake is separately deployable from the holder prior to coupling the holder to the stake.
Thus, in use, the stake is selectively driven partially into the ground surface, after which the holder is selectively coupled to the stake. The stake has a first end and a second end. The first end is configured to be inserted into the ground surface to a desired depth and the second end is configured to be coupled to the holder. The holder has a receiving end which selectively, removably receives a portion of at least one individual light therein, so that at least one light is selectively deployed by inserting a portion of the light into the receiving end.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.